The Importance of Industrial Structural Repairs
Every large manufacturing facility must be inspected periodically to see if industrial structural repairs are needed. Such a large facility likely employs many people, so it must be responsible for the safety of its workers. Seismic retrofit is a long-term solution for giving the building maximum protection from seismic activity.
How Condensation Creates Structural Problems
Building structures rely on roofing to provide maximum protection to occupants. Roofing, however, can degrade over time from environmental factors. Roof condensation occurs when moisture is trapped within ceiling areas by barriers such as insulation. An entire roof can be structurally weakened by roof condensation.
As heat builds up in air cavities between the roofing and insulation, it warms the air to the level that ambient water molecules expand, as the air cavity becomes moist. Trapped water can seep into wood, damaging the structure, and eventually requiring industrial structural repairs.
Businesses such as bakeries, water and heat producing companies and buildings that are closed up or have very little air movment are where the biggest problems can occur. Moisture buildup can occur from building vacancies due to lack of ventilation. Failing to detect condensation early can lead to costly bills to repair structural damage. Part of corporate social responsibility involves making sure a facility is safe for its workers, so companies can no longer fall back on the excuse “we didn’t know it was unsafe.” Routine inspections should show effects of condensation.
Understanding Repair Options
Some of the different types of industrial structural repairs commonly performed on factories due to condensation damage include:
- Vent or foil removal and replacement
- Adding a wood ledger to hold sub-purlins in place
- Installing retrofit GLB, purlin and wall connections
- Re-nailing of the roof or plywood replacement.
Before replacing a roof membrane, it’s imperative to have the roof structure inspected. The engineer should have a thorough understanding of what condensation does to buildings so that they look for problems involving roof nailing, existing plywood, skylights or HVAC equipment.
Long-Term Planning
Owners of buildings built before 1985 and particularly prior to 1975 should consider a retrofit solution. Concepts on resistance to seismic activity weren’t applied to construction until the late twentieth century.
The most important reasons for deciding to retrofit your building are protecting lives and assets, as well as avoiding multiple lawsuits. Owners can be found negligent if it’s proven they had knowledge of structural vulnerabilities. Since these litigation costs can be more than the company is worth, it’s beneficial for the business to ensure the building is retrofit to withstand an earthquake.
Here at Saunders Seismic, we have decades of experience in industrial structual repairs so that you can rest easy knowing you’re doing all you can to protect your workers and assets in the case of an earthquake.
Contact us to learn more, or visit us online at SaundersSeismic.com